BEIRUT, LEBANON (8:30 A.M.) – Yesterday, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), led by the elite Tiger Forces and supported by pro-government tribal militias, liberated seven towns and villages along the western bank of the Euphrates River after an important operation that started two days ago.

In this engagement, the Tiger Forces – striking east out of the southern Raqqa desert – secured Ghanim al-Ali, al-Rabiyah and al-Jabilah towns, cutting ISIS supply lines to an enclave of seven Euphrates-based towns and villages still under the control of the terrorist group.

ISIS is reported to have tried to counterattack three times in order to re-open their communication lines to the settlements. In the event, all counterattacks were rebuffed and, soon after, the Tiger Forces started entering the towns and villages they had encircled, clearing them of terrorists one-by-one.

The liberated towns and villages can be identified as:

Huwyjat Shinan (re-secured);

al-Rahbi;

al-Sabkha;

al-Jabli;

Sharedah;

al-Zayabiyah; and

al-Mastaha.

As a result of the two-day operation by the Tiger Forces, over 100 ISIS fighters were killed and wounded.

Furthermore, by this advance, the Tiger Forces are now 60 kilometers away from SAA positions in Deir Ezzor city.

According to military sources, the advance on the Euphrates axis will now slow down as focus is shifted towards the ISIS bastion in eastern Hama. The liberation of eastern Hama from ISIS will free up huge numbers of pro-government forces manpower and heavy equipment for a final push towards Deir Ezzor which in turn will like take place on multiple axes – namely from the north, center and south.

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